Guns Blazing
by smp06185
Summary: The world around them is going all to hell and all Dean wants is to find his best friend Castiel. Slow build, eventual Destiel.


**Warnings**: Violence, gore, canon death

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><p><em>We repeat, this is not a drill nor is it a hoax, the dead are rising! Remain indoors where it is safe, do not go outside. The CDC and our armed forces are doing all they can to rectify this situation!<em>

_We repeat, this is not a drill..._

The door slammed shut and Dean jerked, pulling his body away from the window where he had been keeping watch for his father's truck. There was a thunder of noise and his door was suddenly kicked in revealing his father. John stared at him, his face tight with distress. It took a second but Dean finally saw the blotches of blood on his father's shirt and pants.

"Dad..."

"We have to go...we need to get up to your Uncle Bobby's cabin...grab only what you need Dean...we have to go now! Grab your brother and get outside!" John cried before rushing out. Dean swallowed down the spike of fear as his cell phone rang on his desk.

"Hello?" he asked as he ran around his room, shoving clothes into his duffel bags. He was never more glad than he was now that his father and uncle were slight survivalists...that they had weapons and the cabin was stocked full of food. Even a safe room in the basement that could fit a dozen people.

"Dean? Oh thank god! Dean...you...help..."

"Cas? Oh fuck are you OK? Cas? CASTIEL!" Dean shouted. His best friend's voice was breaking but he could hear the muffled cries. There was a shout and something shattered.

"CASTIEL! FUCK!" Dean shouted again as the phone was disconnected. Castiel lived in the city with his family...heavily populated and those...things were going to be everywhere. He swallowed down the sob breaking through his throat, slamming his fist down on the desk.

"Dean! Let's get a move on!" John bellowed. Dean wiped at his face furiously, his eyes catching on the picture of them from the fair just a few months ago. He shook his head, snatching up the picture along with his bags as he tore down the hall. John was pacing, his fingers gripped around a long range walkie talkie that he shared with their uncle. Sam was crying, his shoulders shaking a bit as he took in long shuddering breaths. Dean didn't have to ask...his girlfriend Jess also lived in the city.

Kevin and Charlie were huddled together on the couch while the other members of their make shift family hurried around the house for supplies. They were so far out in the country that the threat hadn't made their way towards them.

"Dad..." Dean said dropping his bag down next to the already large pile. John ignored him, saying some heated things into the talkie, mostly in code.

"Dad!" Dean shouted. John turned to glare at him, his eyes wide with fear. Dean swallowed hard and put his hands out.

"I-I have to get Cas..." Dean stammered. John shook his head, his hand gripping onto Dean's faded leather jacket.

"No...you are coming with us...end of story," John demanded. Dean shook his head, taking in a deep breath.

"I have to, I can't just leave him Dad...he'll never make it through this," Dean said pleading his father to understand.

"I know he's your friend Dean...but he's in the city...those things are everywhere...you'll never be able to get to him in time," John said softly. Dean swallowed hard as a tear slid down his cheek. John's chin trembled as he squeezed his shoulder.

"You hurry up...you get him and get your asses back to the cabin. Hear me?" John said. Dean nodded and reached to grab his duffel when John stopped him, handing him a different one. It was filled with guns and a small amount of supplies. Dean nodded his thanks and turned to leave but Sam ran in front of him.

"Can...can we get Jess?" Sam asked with a quavering voice. Dean nodded and took his brother's arm, hurrying him outside. John shouted but Dean didn't look back, shoving his brother towards the impala.

"Wait! Dean!" Ellen cried rushing after them, "You can't take her...she's too loud and will attract those things. Take mine." She handed him her keys, her fingers tightening around his wrist for a brief second. Dean swallowed hard again, yanking her in close for a hug.

"Take care of them..."

"You make sure to bring them back with you," she said cupping the sides of his face. Dean took in a deep breath and hurried towards Ellen's jeep. He sent up a silent thank you that his two favorite women remembered to put the top on. Sam climbed in, his fingers tapping impatiently. Dean tore out of the lot, taking one last look of their family home. He prayed that hopefully one day they'd be able to return to it.

Dean drove fast, trying to not let the car bottom out or hit too many holes in the dirt road. He had to slam on the brakes once they reached the highway, there was a huge line of cars horns blaring. Dean cursed, pounding his fists into the steering wheel.

"Dean...the back roads. The jeep can take it," Sam said his breathing becoming heavy. Dean nodded and screeched the car into reverse. The woods surrounding the highway were pretty spread out and he was able to find a hiker's trail to follow. In the distance he could hear gun shots, making his blood run cold. As they got closer to Kansas City they could make out the billows of smoke rising from the buildings.

"Dean...fuck...oh god!" Sam cried pointing towards the neighborhood where Jess lived. Dean reached out and gripped his brother's arm, stepping down on the gas. There were people everywhere, screaming and rushing out to their cars. He was about to hit one when he realized it was one of them...one of the dead risen. She looked almost normal, except for the gaping hole in her shoulder. Dean drove around her, wincing when her hands raised to try and grab at the car. Sam was spinning around in his seat, his eyes huge as he glanced around them. He clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a scream. Dean looked over and felt the bile rise up in his throat. There were a group of them, surrounding someone who was flailing, his screams easily heard even through the closed windows.

"Dean...go...hurry," Sam pleaded. Dean nodded and sped up, not even caring if he hit one of them now. They finally reached Jess's house and scrambled out of the car. Dean grabbed up the duffel before chasing after his brother. The front door was splintered, smears of blood along the door and walls. A feeling of dread squeezing his chest.

"Sammy..." Dean whispered. He pulled out one of the guns in the bag, making sure the safety was off as they made their way through the house. Sam cried out when the turned the corner into the kitchen.

"Oh my god Dean!" Sam shouted. Dean rushed in front of him and fought of the intense need to throw up. Jess's parents were on the floor, completely destroyed. The back door was broken open and Dean could hear the slight sounds of groaning.

"Shh, shh Sammy...come on let's get Jess and get the fuck out of here," Dean hissed, pushing him towards the stairs. They took two at a time, Sam racing down the hall to throw the door to his girlfriend's door open. Something flew towards his face and Sam ducked, a huge smile on his face as he threw himself at Jess. Dean looked into the room to find the poor girl sobbing into Sam's shoulder, her fingers clinging onto his shirt.

"Guys, come on, we gotta get out of here...I think those things are coming in," Dean demanded. Jess pulled away and nodded, swallowing hard. She threw her long hair up into a bun and reached out to grab her duffel bag. Dean smiled proudly at her, giving her a short hug when she passed him.

"Wait...I need to get my bow," she said hurrying down the hall. Dean almost began to argue with her but changed his mind...the more weapons they had, especially the quieter kind the better. And Jess was a damn good shot. He loved the way his father had stared, dumb struck when the girl hit every bulls-eye with her bad ass recurve bow.

"You were never a city girl..." Sam laughed. She had her bow strapped on her shoulder a bag of arrows at her back. She handed Sam her smaller cross bow and forced a smile.

"Did you guys get Castiel yet?" she asked holding her hand out towards Dean. He swallowed hard at the mention of his best friend...he was so scared to even think of something happening to him. They had only been friends for a couple of years but it never seemed that way to Dean...or Cas. The second they met it was an instant spark, the best friend status immediate. Cas was timid, shy thing...and would never be able to survive something like this...not even with his great number of siblings.

"We're going there now...then we're going to our cabin up north. We need to go now..." Dean said turning to head towards the stairs, Jess's fingers on his arm stopping him short. She raised a finger to her mouth and he strained his hearing. There was a groan from down stairs followed by a shuffle. Dean peered around the corner and sucked in a breath. A few of those things were slowly making their way up the stairs, feet getting caught on the steps. Dean pushed the two of them back into Jess's room, jabbing a finger towards her window.

They clambered through and Dean sent a silent thank you to whoever built the house, giving it a pretty flat roof. Dean shimmied down the drain pipe first, catching the bags and weapons so Jess and his brother could jump down. He had just put Jess on her feet when Sam let out a loud curse.

"The car! Someone took the fucking car!" Sam cried. Dean rushed around the house and bit back his own curse. He could barely see the living people now...just a herd of the dead. The smart thing would have been to hot wire a car, and speed off towards the mountains. But all he could hear was Cas's scared voice...and that scream. He would never be able to live with himself if he didn't at least try to get to him.

"Come on," Dean hissed, ducking through the yard towards the neighbor's car. There was a tiny twinge of guilt as he broke into the small four door but the trail of blood leading up the front steps was a sure sign they wouldn't be needing it.

"Thank god the tanks full," he grumbled as the other two piled in. He got it started and tore out of the neighborhood...heading even deeper into the city.

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><p>"Dean!" Cas screamed into his phone. It had died on him...just like everything else was doing. He had no idea where his siblings were...if they were even OK They had just gotten home from the store when the news interrupted whatever show his sister Anna was watching. There was a brief moment of staring at each other when the first of hundreds of gun shots exploded into the air. His oldest brother Luc shouted at him to run upstairs and hide. His other brother Gabriel ran through the house, locking the doors and moving something heavy in front of it. Castiel had done what he was told, tearing into his room and locked it behind him. The first person he thought of was Dean...if he could get a hold of him, then he would be OK Dean would come and get him...it had taken over an hour for his phone to get through all the busy circuits.<p>

Everything had gone to hell outside, people were screaming, shots were firing and even small explosions. There was a crash from down stairs and Castiel flung himself into the closet, clutching his phone to his chest. He could hear shouting, his brothers and even his sister.

Then dead silence...he wanted so badly to open his door but he was too scared, his breath catching in his throat. He could only hope that Dean was on his way...that he wouldn't leave him behind. It was overwhelming quiet until something exploded outside making him cry out. He slapped a hand over his mouth trying to control his breathing so he wouldn't hyperventilate.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting in his closet but the need to relieve himself and get some water became too much. The door opened with a slight creak as he poked his head out. Nothing...not even so much as a sound. He crawled out, freezing anytime he made a noise or thought he heard something. There was a bat under his bed, something Dean had given him for his birthday last year. He didn't like baseball, even thought it was boring but it helped his anxiety to grip onto the metal in the middle of the night. Somehow Dean knew...what was he kidding, Dean always knew just what to say or even do to help him calm down. It made him so angry...that he finally found someone that understood his peculiar ways and now he was going to loose it? To some, stupid Zombie apocalypse?

Castiel grumbled under his breath and snatched up the bat, sinking down to his butt to lean up against his bed. He had to keep positive...that Dean wouldn't leave him. Castiel got to his feet and took a deep breath, pushing up his glasses just before reaching out for his door handle. Once again he was met with silence and that terrified him. Where were his siblings? He tentatively stepped out Into the hallway, his knuckles turning white from his grip around the bat. He was just about to reach the stairs when he heard it...the moaning. At first he wanted to throw something at Gabriel for being so disgusting in a time like this but when he looked over the railing his words stuck in his throat. He couldn't count how many of those things were down there but the entire down stairs was destroyed.

"Oh my god..." he hissed clamping a hand over his mouth. There was no way he could make it through them. He backed away slowly, disappearing into the bathroom as quietly as he could. It wasn't the right time but he wasn't about to wet himself. He stared at himself for a long time in the mirror, his eyes wide and wet with fear. How was Dean going to find him? Or get through that? Maybe he should just try leaving...sneak out through his balcony like he had so many times before with Dean. He finished up in the bathroom, making sure to not flush the toilet or make any loud sudden noises as he slipped out.

There was a scuffling noise from behind him. He froze and turned around slowly, screaming out as he tripped over his own feet, landing hard on his backside. Luc...his oldest brother was stumbling towards him...his skin a grayish tinge with a large chunk missing from his neck.

"Luc?" Castiel whispered thickly, tears steadily making tracks down his cheeks. Luc continued to amble towards him, no look of recognition towards his name. There were more noises behind him and he gasped when the ones from downstairs started to climb up. He scrambled up to his feet and sobbed as he pushed Luc out of the way, careful to avoid grabby hands. He couldn't hide in his room, they would most likely just break down the door.

"Castiel! Over here!" he cried out and looked towards the voice, a wave of relief coursing over him when he saw Anna. She was waving her arms furiously towards him and he took off, the growls and moaning getting louder. He took a glance behind him and was glad he had relieved himself...the hallway was crowded with those things...his brother in the front reaching out for him.

"Hurry!" Anna shouted, grabbing his shirt and yanking him towards the stairs leading up to the attic. They slammed the door shut behind them and Anna was pulling him again up the stairs. Castiel jumped when the things started to pound against the wood and he knew that it wouldn't hold them back for long. Before he could voice those fears Anna was pushing one of the dressers towards the stair case, letting out a scream when it finally gave, tumbling down the stairs to block the door.

"I'm so glad you're OK!" Castiel cried hugging his sister tightly. She ran her fingers through his hair and shushed him.

"Me too...I have no idea what happened to Gabriel but...Luc...he saved me," she said and bit her bottom lip hard to keep from crying. Castiel nodded hugging his sister again.

"We have to find away out of the house..." Anna said wiping at her face.

"How? There's no windows...and Dean...Dean will be here soon," Castiel said looking around the room frantically. Anna scoffed behind and he turned to glare at her. She pushed her red hair up into a tight pony tail and gave him a look of pity.

"Cas...I know you love your friend but he won't come here...it's too dangerous. If he was smart, he would get far from here...not come looking for you," she said walking past him. Castiel swallowed hard and shook his head, refusing to believe that.

"No...he's coming. He wouldn't just leave without me..." Castiel said softly moving to sink down on one of the chairs. He just wanted to wake up now...wake up and go to school, see Dean and then snuggle back into his bed. None of this would be real...

There was a loud boom and Castiel jerked looking up to see his sister slamming a coat rack against the wall.

"Get over here and help me!" Anna shouted. Castiel took in a deep breath and got off the couch, looking for something to help puncture a hole into the wood.

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><p>Dean crouched under the bushes, his heart echoing loudly in his ears. They had to leave the car behind, it was attracting too much attention and now they were just outside Castiel's house. There were so many of those things...he had no idea how he was going to even get inside. Sam and Jess were fidgeting next to him, silently voicing all the things he knew...but couldn't bare to hear. He was just about to turn away when a scream broke out from the house. Hope soared through him...Castiel was still in there!<p>

He grabbed up one of the knives from his bag along with the pistol he had earlier, "You two cover me..." Dean said. Sam stared at him wide eyed while Jess climbed up one of the trees, her foot kicking at Sam's shoulder.

"Let's go!" she hissed. Dean sent a thanks to his father for packing a silencer and handed that one to Sam. His brother opened his mouth to say something but just nodded, taking it before climbing up into the tree with Jess. Dean took in a few breaths and crouched down, trying to keep as low of a profile as he could. If he could make it to their backyard and up to Cas's balcony..he might be able to get in that way. Castiel never locked it anymore so he knew it would be open. He heard a pop and jumped when he saw one of them fall to the ground, one of Jess's arrows buried deep in its skull.

"I love that girl," he said and continued towards the gate. There were two of things trying to push the door open and Dean took out one, thrusting his knife up the back of its head. The other one's head exploded and Dean winced as blood sprayed his face. There was no sound accompanying the shots and he calm himself knowing that his brother and Jess would be OK

There were none of those things in the backyard and Dean didn't waste anytime rushing over to the house, quickly climbing up the rose trellis. He carefully avoided the thorns and pulled himself up onto the balcony of Castiel's bedroom. He peaked through the door and quickly dove out of sight of the glass pane. There were a few of them in there...but no sight of his best friend. He couldn't take them all out at once either. He pushed his head against the wall and wracked his brain. There was a booming noise and something cracking. He barely had enough time to dive out of the way of a large piece of crashing down on the balcony, taking out the railing on its way.

"What the fuck..." he gasped as the doors to Castiel's room started to push out, the sounds of growling from the other side.

"Shit!" he cried hurrying to shove one of the metal chairs under the handles.

"Dean!" He heard that familiar voice and he glanced up to see those brilliant blue eyes staring down at him. His face was stained with tears but he looked so relieved. Dean smiled back at him, wanting nothing more than to hug him but the door was starting to give again.

"We need to get out of here now!" Dean shouted. Castiel nodded and bit his lip before jumping out of the hole, landing with a hard thud next to him.

"Oh..." Castiel whimpered backing away from the doors.

"Are you OK?" Dean asked pushing against the door though his arms were protesting. Castiel nodded, his eyes glancing back up. Dean didn't chance a look but saw someone else land beside him, a loud groan following.

"I can't believe you're actually this stupid Dean," Anna panted rising to her feet. Dean gave her a sheepish smile.

"What can I say? I don't leave my friends behind," Dean said. Castiel beamed up at him, the look of sheer happiness completely melting when one of the panes of glass shattered by Dean's arm.

"Shit...hurry, climb down," Dean ordered. Anna didn't even hesitate, quickly throwing her legs over the railing. Castiel looked at him, torn whether to go or stay and help him.

"Cas...go...I'll follow I promise, now go!" Dean shouted. Castiel nodded and quickly followed his sister. Dean gritted his teeth before throwing himself away from the door and over the railing. He nearly lost his footing but managed to climb down the trellis without breaking his neck. Before he could even catch his breath Castiel was hugging him tightly, his arms squeezing the breath right out of his lungs. Dean laughed softly, hugging him back with just as much desperation.

"OK you two, let's get out of here!" Anna said with a roll of her eyes. Dean nodded and pulled Castiel towards the gate. He wanted to shout out a warning towards her but she already wrenched the gate open, a scream tearing out of her throat as three of those things overwhelmed her. Dean tried to rush to her but one of them already had its teeth locked onto her shoulder. He still wasn't sure how this all worked...but it didn't take a genius to know that a bite wasn't a good thing.

"Anna!" Castiel screamed and Dean had to grab at his wrist to keep from going to his sister. Anna locked eyes with him and gave him a quick nod. Dean swallowed hard and pulled Cas away, helping him climb up on one of the tables.

"Dean no! We have to help her!" Cas cried, loud hiccuping sobs breaking Dean's heart. He glanced back at Anna who wasn't even struggling anymore.

"Go!" she said through gritted teeth. Dean was over the wall in no time, dragging a hysterical Castiel with him.


End file.
